Apparatus for packaging cigarette tubes

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for the packaging of cigarette paper tubes into boxes is disclosed. The apparatus includes a box filling assembly which consists of a supply hopper for cigarette tubes and which has an open lower end, and a transfer member is mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement beneath the hopper to tube restraining and tube receiving positions. The transfer member has a retention surface for holding tubes within the hopper when in tube restraining position and a tube receiving recess for selectively receiving a quantity of tubes when in tube receiving position. A support plate is mounted within the recess and is selectively and vertically and reciprocally movable from a lowered position to tube supporting position, the support plate being mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement with the transfer member. The tube receiving recess receives a quantity of tubes from the hopper member when the transfer member is in tube receiving position and the support plate is in lowered position. A displacement plate is mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement normal to the horizontal reciprocal movement of the transfer member for selectively displacing a quantity of cigarette tubes from the tube receiving recess into an open front or top of a box. In a preferred construction, conveyor means is provided, and assembly means are included for forming a box from a blank and positioning the formed box onto the conveyor with the box then being moved by intermittent movement past the box filling station, and a box closing and sealing station, and subsequently to a transfer station where the filled and closed box is removed from the conveyor. With apparatus of this type, it is possible to fill between 20 to 30 boxes, each containing in the order of 200 tubes, per minute with minimum operator attention and wastage in a manner not before possible.

United States Patent Kastner July 22, 1975 i 1 APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARETTE TUBES [76] Inventor: Arnold Kastner, 10220 Armand Lavergne, Montreal, Quebec, Canada [22] Filed: Aug. 2, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 494,285

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 16, 1973 Canada 185977 [52] US. Cl. 53/148; 53/236; 53/250; 53/374 [51] Int. Cl. B65B 19/34; B65B 19/20 [58] Field of Search 53/148, 149, 150, 151, 53/236, 250

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,365,857 l/l968 Liedtke 53/148 3,435,940 4/1969 Seragnoli 53/151 X Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for the packaging of cigarette paper tubes into boxes is disclosed. The apparatus includes a box filling assembly which consists of a supply hopper for cigarette tubes and which has an open lower end, and a transfer member is mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement beneath the hopper to tube restraining and tube receiving positions. The transfer member has a retention surface for holding tubes within the hopper when in tube restraining position and a tube receiving recess for selectively receiving a quantity of tubes when in tube receiving position. A support plate is mounted within the recess and is selectively and vertically and reciprocally movable from a lowered positionto tube supporting position, the support plate being mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement with the transfer member. The tube receiving recess receives a quantity of tubes from the hopper member when the transfer member is in tube receiving position and the support plate is in lowered position. A displacement plate is mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement normal to the horizontal reciprocal movement of the transfer member for selectively displacing a quantity of cigarette tubes from the tube receiving recess into an open front or top of a box. In a preferred construction, conveyor means is provided, and assembly means are included for forming a box from a blank and positioning the formed box onto the conveyor with the box then being moved by intermittent movement past the box filling station, and a box closing and sealing station, and subsequently to a transfer station where the filled and closed box is removed from the conveyor. With apparatus of this type, it is possible to fill between 20 to 30 boxes, each containing in the order of 200 tubes, per minute with minimum operator attention and wastage in a manner not before possible.

10 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 22 ms SHEET OOOOOO PATENTEDJUL22 ms 3895L479 SHEET 4 PATENTED JUL 2 2 I975 SHEET PATENTED L 2 2 I975 SHEET FIG. I?

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING CIGARETTE TUBES The present invention relates to apparatus for the packaging of cigarette paper tubes, and particularly to the packaging of cigarette paper tubes of the filter type variety wherein a filter plug is provided in one end of the tube, although the apparatus of the present invention is applicable also to the packaging of other similar type articles.

The demand for home-made cigarettes is increasing over the years due to increasing costs of ready-made cigarettes, and the fact that many smokers prefer to make their own cigarettes because of increased flavour. In making ones own cigarettes, a user employs a cigarette making machine of a type which may be similar to those disclosed in my Canadian Pat. No. 723,945 dated Dec. 21, 1965, and entitled Adjustable Tube Releasing Mechanism for a Cigarette Making Machine and in my Canadian Pat. No. 643,473, dated June 26, 1962, and tobacco Cigarette Machine. A cigarette is obtained by using one of these cigarette machines by positioning a tube of cigarette paper onto a nipple provided on the machine, and positioning a small supply of tobacco in an opening provided in the casing of the machine, with rotation of a handle on the machine first compacting the tobacco into a cylindrical elongate wad against an injection spoon member which has a concavely curved cross-section, with continued rotation of the handle then causing the spoon to displace the wad of tabacco into the cigarette tube.

In view of this ever increasing demand for homemade cigarettes new and improved machinery to speed the packaging of cigarette tubes at minimum cost is required and it is the purpose of this invention to satisfy the requirements.

Canadian Pat. No. 847,700, dated July 28, 1970, and entittled Cigarette Tube Packaging Apparatus" discloses apparatus for the packaging of cigarette tubes in a manner which is most satisfactory, and the present invention relates to apparatus which is an improvement over this earlier machine and which will package cigarette tubes in boxes of 200 tubes, or with any desired number of tubes per box, at a high rate of speed with a minimum of wastage and operator attention.

In understanding the problems involved in packaging, one must first appreciate the characteristics of the article which it is desired to package. In the present case, the article is a cigarette tube without tobacco, having one end which is provided with a filter plug while the remainder of the tube is simply a flimsy cylinder of thin paper with negligible weight. In view of the fact that the weight of a cigarette tube varies from one end to the other, it is not possible to utilize methods conventionally used in the packaging of elongate cylindrical articles such as pencils or chalk which are solid and of constant weight throughout their length, and new apparatus for the packaging of cigarette tubes is required and has been invented.

In accordance with the apparatus of the present invention it is possible to fill boxes containing 200 cigarette tubes (or a desired number) and to close and seal the filled boxes and to transport the boxes to a station for subsequent loading into cartons at a rate of approximately 20 to 30 boxes per minute which means that the present apparatus is capable of packaging in the order of some 4,000 to 6,000 tubes per minute with minimum operator attention and with minimum wastage in a manner not before possible.

By providing a substantially completely automated assembly, the present invention reduces the cost of packaging cigarette tubes by minimizing skilled operator time and also by minimizing wastage with the result that the tubes can be sold to the user at lowest possible cost.

In all packaging apparatus it is critical from the standpoint of customer acceptance that a substantially equal number of articles, in the present case, tubes can be contained in each box (and never less than the advertised number), and it has been determined the present packaging apparatus satisfies this requirement by repeatedly providing boxes of the order of 202-412 tubes, when the desired tube content is specified to be 200.

It is a main object of the present invention then to provide apparatus for the packaging of cigarette paper filter tubes in a rapid and economical manner requiring minimum operator attention.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for the packaging of cigarette tubes in a rapid and economical manner with the apparatus being capable of packaging in excess of 4,000 cigarette tubes per minute with minimum operator attention and with minimum wastage from a consideration of the boxes employed and the cigarette tubes themselves, and which will repeatedly package a substantially constant number of tubes per box.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus for packaging cigarette tubes and like articles with the apparatus including a box filling assembly comprising a supply hopper for cigarette tubes having an open lower end and a transfer member mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement beneath the hopper to tube restraining and tube receiving positions, the transfer member having a retention surface for holding tubes within the hopper when in tube restraining position and a tube receiving recess for selectively receiving a quantity of tubes when in tube receiving position, and a support plate mounted within the recess and selectively vertically reciprocally movable from a lowered position to tube supporting position, the support plate being mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement with the transfer member, the tube receiving recess receiving a quantity of tubes from the hopper when the transfer member is in tube receiving position and the support plate is in lowered position, and a displacement plate mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement normal to the horizontal reciprocal movement of the transfer member for selectively displacing a quantity of cigarette tubes from the said tube receiving recess into an open front or top of a box.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide apparatus for the packaging of cigarette paper filter tubes and which includes intermittently movable conveyor means which convey boxes which are formed and positioned on the conveyor means at a first station, with the boxes then being conveyed to a second station where the boxes are filled with a quantity of cigarette tubes, and the boxes are then intermittently and sequentially conveyed to a box closing and sealing station wherein the boxes are closed and sealed, and the boxes are then conveyed to a transfer station wherein the boxes are removed from the conveyor means.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 1A which appear on separate sheets, when viewed together along line A-A is a front view, partially in section, of apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 and FIG. 2B, the latter appearing on the sheet with FIG. 1A, when viewed together along line B-B is a top view, partially in section, of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of a portion of the apparatus for inserting a quantity of cigarette paper tubes into a box, and showing an elevator mechanism in raised position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 3 but showing the elevator mechanism in lowered position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view generally similar to FIG. 3 but showing a cigarette tube transfer mechanism in a position wherein the quantity of cigarette tubes is ready for insertion into the open top or side of a box;

FIG. 7 is a front view generally similar to FIG. 3 but showing the elevator mechanism in elevated position ready for movement to the right as shown in FIG. 3 to receive a subsequent quantity of cigarette paper filter tubes;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional end view showing a quantity of cigarette tubes in position for insertion into the open top of a box;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view similar to that shown in FIG. 8 but showing the quantity of cigarette paper tubes pushed into the open top of the box;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rectangular guide member assuring proper alignment and positioning of the cigarette tubes during their displacement into the open box;

FIG. 11 illustrates in enlarged perspective view, patially in section, a lower portion of a hopper assembly and a portion of the cigarette tube transfer mechanism;

FIG. 12 illustrates in enlarged perspective view additional portions of the elevating mechanism shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7;

FIG. 13 illustrates in lower perspective view a transfer member for moving a quantity of cigarette tubes forwardly;

FIG. 14 illustrates in schematic perspective view portions of the drive assembly of the apparatus;

FIG. 15 illustrates in front view a drive wheel arrangement moving portions of the apparatus uniformly intermittently;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional view of the drive wheel taken along lines l616 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an end view of the complete apparatus taken generally along line 1717 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 18 is a rear perspective view of box closing and box transfer assemblies shown in front view in FIG. 1A and in top view in FIG. 28;

FIG. 19 is a top view partially in section of the box closing and box transfer assemblies shown in FIG. 18'. and

FIG. 20 illustrates, by way of example only, in perspective view a box suitable for use with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 1A, and 2 and 2B, the letters A, B, C and D indicates various work stations or assemblies which will be discussed separately and in combination for a complete understanding of the inventive apparatus.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, letter A indicates a box forming and box positioning station whereat box blanks are formed into box configuration indicated generally at 2 in FIG. 20, and are placed on an endless conveyor assembly shown by numeral 4 in the drawings. The conveyor 4 which is shown as being a chain conveyor, is provided with upstanding dividing partitions 6 and individual boxes 2 are positioned on the conveyor between the dividing partitions. Box forming and box positioning apparatus such as that used at Station A is well known in the art and further discussion is believed unnecessary here, with the exception that it should be clearly noted that as shown in FIG. 20 the box 2 is preferably formed having a top 8 secured to one side of the box and also is provided with end dust flaps 10 and 12 and a top securing flap 14, with the open top (or side) of the box being positioned on the conveyor with the open top facing inwardly as shown by arrow 16 in FIG. 2, and also as clearly shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The boxes 2 are carried by conveyor 4 in the direction indicated by arrows 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2 by intermittent stop and go action to a box filling station which is indicated by letter B in these Figures. It is at station B that a quantity of paper cigarette tubes are filled into the open top of the box, and the actual insertion of the tubes into the box will be discussed in more detail below.

Station C as shown in FIGS. 1A and 2B is a work area where boxes filled with tubes are closed and sealed, and Station D is a work area where filled and closed and sealed boxes are moved laterally from the conveyor 4 by additional conveyor means in the direction of arrow 20 in FIG. 2B. The operation and function of these two latter stations C and D will be described in more detail below.

As indicated above, boxes 2 of the type generally shown in FIG. 20 are conveyed by the conveyor 4 to a position at Station B where a quantity of paper cigarette tubes are inserted.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 1A, 2 and 28 a top cover 5 and a front cover 7 are provided to maintain the boxes 2 in correct alignment and positioning during conveying. The covers 5 and 7 may be made of a transparent material such as an acrylic resin or the like.

The cigarette tube filling station indicated at B consists of a generally triangular (in front view) shaped hopper structure having sloping downwardly converging side panels 22 and 24 and which has flat front and rear panels 26 and 28, respectively (see particularly FIG. 11) with the front and back panels being spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the length of the cigarette filter tubes which are to be boxed, and the tubes are arranged in the hopper in a parallel side-byside manner particularly as shown in FIG. 11. The paper tubes 30 may be of the filter type variety, having a filter plug provided in one end thereof, and in this instance, the cigarette tubes 30 will be positioned within the hopper with the filter plug end 32 of the tubes being adjacent the rear wall 28 so that when the tubes are inserted into the box 2 and the box is opened by removal of tear strip 34 (FIG. 20), the filter plug ends 32 of the tubes are at the opening. Cigarette paper tubes without a filter plug can also be packaged with apparatus according to the present invention, but as the vast majority of people who make their own cigarettes prefer to utilize tubes of the filter variety, the present apparatus will be used almost exclusively for the packaging of this latter type.

The hopper is maintained in a filled or substantially filled condition by means of magazine assemblies 38 which are mounted above the hopper arrangement. Each of the magazines 38 which are filled with Cigarette filter tubes, produced for example by my Canadian Pat. No. 855,499, issued Nov. 10, 1970, and entitled Cigarette Tube Making Machine and my copending Canadian Patent application, Ser. No. 184,642, filed Oct. 30, 1973, and entitled Apparatus for Making Cigarette Filter Tubes are positioned in an upright position on a conveyor belt assembly 40 as shown in FIG. 17 which is driven in movement by chain drive 42 and an electric motor indicated at numeral 44. The individual magazines, five of which are shown in FIG. 17, move along track means 46 as a result of movement of conveyor 40 in a direction indicated by arrow 48 in FIG. 17 until the leading magzine (shown at 38') becomes positioned directly above the hopper and then the bottom of the magazine opens allowing discharge of its tubes into the hopper. When the leading magazine 38' is empty, it is moved laterally in the direction indicated by arrow 50 in FIG. 1 where additional conveyor means (not shown) then moves the individual magazines rearwardly, or in a direction opposite to the direction of arrow 48 to a position where they are again refilled and returned to the cigarette tube packaging apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. The operation of the magazine assembly can be controlled automatically or semiautomatically or completely manually and the function of the magazine assembly is to em sure that the hopper receives a continuous supply of cigarette tubes so that packaging of these tubes can proceed in an uninterrupted manner.

Each of the sloping side walls 22 and 24 of the hopper may be provided with vibrator 54 which imparts a vibratory movement to the walls to ensure proper settling of the tubes within the hopper enabling complete filling of the boxes. The vibrator assembly may simply vibrate the hopper sides in a simple manner, or may impart orbital or reciprocal vibratory movement to the hopper walls as indicated by the double-headed arrows 56 in FIG. 1. Of course, this reciprocal vibratory movement will be very small and need be of a magnitude only to ensure proper settling of the tubes in honeycombed configuration within the hopper. To permit this vibratory movement to occur the side walls 22 and 24 may conveniently be supported by rubber mountings 58 as shown.

The bottom of the hopper is open (see FIG. 4) permitting discharge of parallel aligned cigarette tubes therefrom, and a description of mechanism for receiving a quantity of tubes from the hopper and for inserting this quantity into an open box will now be described with particular reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Beneath the lower opening of the hopper and spaced therefrom is a track 60, and mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement on this track is a transfer member shown generally in perspective view at 62 in FIG. 13, and which consists of a retention block 64 having a flat upper retention surface 65 and a spaced end block 66, with these two blocks being spaced apart a distance equal to the length of a supply of cigarette tubes which are to be packaged in a box. The retention block 64 and the end block 66 are secured together in spacedapart relationship by means of an elongate plate or strip 68. The end 70 of the retention block is secured to the end of a piston rod 72 of a cylinder and piston device 74, which is stationarily mounted on framing 76 of the apparatus and which may be actuated by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure. Activation of the piston and cylinder device 74 reciprocally moves the transfer member 62 from a position to the right as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, to a position to the left as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Carried within the saddle on tube receiving recess provided between the retention and end blocks 64 and 66, respectively, of the transfer member 62 is a hollow elevator member 82 which includes a top flat support plate 84. The elevator member is slidably mounted within channel member 86, and vertical reciprocal movement of the channel member 86 and elevator member 82 is achieved by means of piston and cylinder devices 90 and 92 which effect movement of the elevator member from a lowered position as shown in FIG. 12 to a raised position as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The elevator member 82 is slidably carried within channel 86 and it will be appreciated that reciprocal forward and reversed movement of transfer member 64 will carry elevator member 82 therewith.

The sequence of steps and operations to fill a quantity of cigarette tubes into the open top of a box 2 will now be described.

With the transfer member 62 positioned to the right in FIG. 3 and with the elevator member raised upwardly to the position also shown in FIG. 3, the cigarette tubes held in the supply hopper are supported by the support plate 84 provided as the top upper surface of the elevator member. Dual pistons 90 and 92 are then activated to lower the elevator member 82 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4, and it will be appreciated that as a result of the lowering a supply of tubes from the hopper moves downwardly to fill the tube receiving recess or opening between the end block 66 and the retention block 64 of the transfer member 62. With cylinders 90 and 92 remaining in the lowered position, cylinder 74 is then activated to move the transfer member 62 from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the tube restraining position shown in FIG. 6 where the supply of cigarette tubes, now numbered by numeral 94, are in a position to be pushed into the open top of a box. It will be noted that a separator or divider plate or flange 96 is provided below the left hand wall adjacent the lower opening of the hopper, and as the transfer member 62 moves to the left from a position shown in FIG. 4 to a position shown in FIG. 6 the leading edge 98 of this plate acts to separate and prevent crushing of cigarette tubes during this movement. It has been surprisingly found that movement of the transfer member 62 from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 6 can be satisfactorily accomplished without damaging or crushing any of the tubes adjacent the moving component parts. This is generally attributed to two factors, the first being the very light weight of the cigarette tubes themselves, and the fact that the tubes remaining in the hopper when contacted by the moving retention surface 65 of the transfer member 62 tend to rotate about their longitudinal axes and through such rotation move out of the direct path of movement of the transfer member and hence out of position directly between the transfer member and the leading edge 98 of the plate 96. During the movement to the left of the transfer member contacting cigarette tubes tend to rotate and it is believed that it is because of this rotation and the lightness of the product involved that damage to tubes is avoided. Whatever the cause, it has been found that movement of the transfer member laterally beneath the open lower end of the hopper can be satisfactorily achieved with minimum tube damage. As shown in FIG. 11, the leading edge 98 may be tapered somewhat (but still rounded) to facilitate separation. Also as shown in FIG. 11 the separator or divider plate 96 is adjustable by the mounting and thumb-screw assembly shown generally at 104 so that precise positioning of the edge 98 with respect to wall 22 can be achieved.

FIG. 8 illustrated in enlarged sectional side view the positioning of an open box 2 carried by the conveyor 4, directly in front of a quantity of tubes 94. Positioned between the box 2 and the tubes 94 is a rectangular guide member or mouthpiece 105 shown in perspective view in FIG. 10, and which is provided with four sloping or bevelled inner surfaces 106 which act to guide the tubes during movement of the supply of cigarette tubes to avoid any catching or abutting of cigarette tube ends on the edges of the box during the insertion. As will clearly be seen from FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 the reactangular mouthpiece is provided with a horizontal slot 108 to receive the flap 14 of a box 2 and hold same in open position during tube insertion. The apparatus is also provided with a longitudinally extending rail 110 (not shown in FIG. 1 but which is shown in FIG. 2 and other drawings) to retain the top flap 8 of the box in raised position also out of the way of the cigarette tubes during filling.

Directly behind the quantity 94 of cigarette tubes is a displacement plate 1 12 which is carried by a displacement block 114 which is movable in reciprocal back and forward directions (as shown by the arrows) in FIGS. 8 and 9 by means of a cylinder 116 and attached piston rod 118. The outer end of the piston rod 118 is securely fastened to the rear panel 120 of the displacement block 114. When a supply 96 of tubes is in a position as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, cylinder 116 is actuated to move displacement plate 112 forwardly and dislodge the supply of cigarette tubes from the transfer member and through the rectangular mouthpiece or guide member 105 and into the open box as shown in sequence in FIGS. 8 and 9. When the supply of tubes is fully inserted into the box, the displacement plate 112 is withdrawn into its flush position as shown in FIGS. 8 and 12 and ready for a subsequent forward movement to displace a further supply of cigarette tubes into the next box being advanced by the conveyor 4.

When the displacement plate 112 has withdrawn to its flush position as shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, the dual pistons 90 and 92 then raise channel 86 and carried elevator member 82 to the upper position as shown in FIG. 7 and then cylinder 74 is activated to move the transfer member 62 and elevator member 82 from the position shown in FIG. 7 back to the original position shown in FIG. 3 where the complete operation is again repeated.

Of course, it will be appreciated that various move ments of the transfer members, elevator member, etc., are timed in sequence with the intermittent movement of the conveyor belt 4 so that a continuous filling of boxes in succession with minimum of wastage is achieved.

It will be appreciated that the space existing between the retention block 64, and the end block 66, and the top retention surface 65 of the retention block, and the separator plate 96 will determine the number of tubes to be boxed. While an area accommodating about 200 tubes (200 i 2) is suggested as being favourably received by the purchasing public, larger or smaller numbers of cigarettes could be packaged using proportionally larger or smaller boxes simply by changing the dimensions of the mechanisms involved.

After the boxes 2 are filled, in a manner as shown in FIG. 9, the conveyor belt 4 then conveys the filled boxes sequentially to the box closing station indicated generally by letter C in FIGS. 1A and 2B. As a box moves forwardly, the top flap 8 is directed by curved guide surface downwardly to the more or less horizontal position as shown in FIG. 18, and wherein the lower (inner) outer edge of the top flap 8 of the box is provided with a strip of glue or adhesive by means of an adhesive applying wheel 122 which is partially immersed in adhesive carried within a glue or adhesive containing box 124. As the box continues, a pusher ball 126 which is mounted on piston rod 128 carried by pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 130 moves reciprocally to and from the advancing box to fold the lower flap 14 from its open position as shown in FIG. 9 to a closed upright position as shown in FIG. 19. As the box continues to move the leading dust flap 12 is contacted by reciprocally rotatable arcuate folding wheel or member 124 to fold the flap 12 inwardly and this flap is held inwardly by curved cam surface 132 against flap 14 as shown in FIG. 19, and as the box continues to move, arcuate member 134 which is mounted on lever 136 pivotally secured to framing is operative for movement in a direction indicated by arrow 138 in FIG. 19 to bend end flap 10 from the open position as shown in FIG. 20 to a folded-in position shown in broken lines to the left in FIG. 19 where the flap 10 is then contacted by curved cam surface 132 to fold it to its closed position as shown to the right in FIG. 19. Thus, as the box moves the flap 14 is folded inwardly and then the end dust flaps 10 and 12 are folded inwardly, and as the box continues to move, angled folding bar 140 contacts and folds the top flap 8 downwardly in a manner as shown in FIG. 18 to completely close the box. Depending upon the specific adhesive used, (and which may be an adhesive such as Brightwood glue) a heating element 142 may be provided as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 to set the adhesive and hold the box securely closed. As intermittent movement of the conveyor 4 continues the leading box then advances to box transfer station D where actuation of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 144 causes the pusher plate 146 carried by piston rod 148 to move the filled and sealed box 2 in a direction as indicated by arrow 150 and along a chute or conveyor assembly 152 to a subsequent packaging station where the individual boxes are packaged in larger cartons for distribution, to wholesale and retail outlets.

As shown in FIG. 20, and as indicated above, and for the convenience of the user, the box may be provided 1th a tear strip 34 to provide easy access.

As indicated above, movement of the conveyor 4 and indexed movement of the component parts of the apparatus may be controlled through a programmer 158 and suitable chain or belt drive arrangement somewhat in the manner as shown systematically in attached FIG. 14. Drive means consisting of an electric motor 160 provide drive for the various components of the apparatus through a gear reduction assembly 162 and through drive wheel 164 and subsequently to a main drive shaft 166 via a drive wheel 168 secured thereto. The main drive shaft 166 carries a number of cam discs acting on various cylinder actuating mechanisms 172 to effect controlled actuation of the various pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders discussed in the earlier description of the inventive apparatus. While the schematic representation shown in FIG. 14 does not attempt to show the complete drive and indexing arrangement, the following brief description is believed to be in order.

Rotation of the main drive shaft 166 imparts a fixed and steady rotary movement to sprocket drive wheel 174 (see FIG. which is provided with a selected number of sprocket teeth 176 provided on one edge surface thereof as well as a pin 178 which engages in upstanding stops 180 provided on a drive chain 182. As the drive wheel 174 rotates in the direction of arrow 184 as shown in FIG. 15, it will be appreciated that the chain 182 advances a distance only equal to the periphery of the drive wheel containing the sprocket teeth 176 while the chain remains stationary during the completion of one revolution of the drive wheel, and it is during this stop period that quantities of cigarette tubes are positioned in the boxes, and the empty boxes are positioned on the conveyor at station A and moved off of the conveyor at station D, etc.

The intermittent movement imparted to secondary drive chain 182 is transferred by shaft 188, through drive chain 190 and shaft 192 and drive chain 194 and subsequently through shaft 196 to drive sprocket wheels 198 and 200 which impart the intermittent conveying movement which the conveyor 4 undergoes. Main drive shaft 166 which is continually rotating, imparts rotary movement to the constantly spinning adhesive applying wheel 122 by way of drive chain 202 and shaft 204 and chain 206. Intermittent motion is imparted to the mechanisms at station A by means of shaft 208 which is driven by intermittently moving drive chain 182.

The foregoing provides a very brief discussion of the functions performed at station A, and a detailed description in respect of the various components and functions performed at stations B, C, and D. While stations A, C and D are included as being preferred portions of apparatus to successfully and quickly package cigarette filter tubes, it will be apparent that variations in the exact construction and operation of these latter three stations may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention, and that the essential arrangement of the apparatus is the actual box filling station B, regardless of whatever ancillary component parts, such as the magazine supply arrangement, and stations A, C and D may be used.

While the present apparatus is particularly suited for the packaging of cigarette filter tubes, it will be appreciated that other articles of elongate shape, such as plastic or paper drinking straws, pencils, etc., could also successfully be packaged.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for packaging cigarette tubes and like articles including a box-filling assembly comprising a supply hopper for cigarette tubes having an open lower end and a transfer member mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement beneath the hopper to tube restraining and tube receiving positions, the transfer member having a retention surface for holding tubes within the hopper when in tube restraining position and a tube receiving recess for selectively receiving a quantity of tubes when in tube receiving position, and a support plate mounted within the recess and selectively vertically reciprocally movable from a lowered position to tube supporting position, the support plate being mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement with said transfer member, the tube receiving recess receiving a quantity of tubes from the hopper when the transfer member is in tube receiving position and the support plate is in lowered position, and a displacement plate mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement normal to the horizontal reciprocal movement of the transfer member for selectively displacing a quantity of cigarette tubes from the tube receiving recess into an open front or top of a box.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a rectangular mouthpiece having tapered inner surfaces positioned between the displacement plate and the box.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, including conveyor means to intermittently and sequentially convey boxes to a stopped position in front of the displacement plate.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, including a box forming and positioning assembly adjacent the conveyor means and upstream of the box filling assembly to form blanks into boxes and place same and position same on the conveyor means.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer means, the support plate, the displacement plate are moved by pneumatic or hydraulic piston and cylinder devices.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a separator plate positioned adjacent one side of the open lower end of the supply hopper, the separator plate extending a short distance across the said open lower end providing a separator edge to separate adjacent tubes during horizontal movement of the transfer member and retention surface across and beneath the supply hopper.

7. Apparatus according to claim 3, including a box closing and sealing assembly positioned adjacent the conveyor means downstream of the box filling assembly.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 further including a box transfer assembly adjacent the conveyor means downstream of the box filling assembly for removing filled, closed and sealed boxes from the conveyor means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, the supply hopper having flat front and rear surfaces and downwardly converging side surfaces, and including means to impart vibratory movement to the said side surfaces.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including magazine conveying means above the supply hopper to convey magazines full of tubes sequentially above the hopper to maintain a supply of tubes within the hopper. 

1. Apparatus for packaging cigarette tubes and like articles including a box-filling assembly comprising a supply hopper for cigarette tubes having an open lower end and a transfer member mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement beneath the hopper to tube restraining and tube receiving positions, the transfer member having a retention surface for holding tubes within the hopper when in tube restraining position and a tube receiving recess for selectively receiving a quantity of tubes when in tube receiving position, and a support plate mounted within the recess and selectively vertically reciprocally movable from a lowered position to tube supporting position, the support plate being mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement with said transfer member, the tube receiving recess receiving a quantity of tubes from the hopper when the transfer member is in tube receiving position and the support plate is in lowered position, and a displacement plate mounted for horizontal reciprocal movement normal to the horizontal reciprocal movement of the transfer member for selectively displacing a quantity of cigarette tubes from the tube receiving recess into an open front or top of a box.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a rectangular mouthpiece having tapered inner surfaces positioned between the displacement plate and the box.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, including conveyor means to intermittently and sequentially convey boxes to a stopped position in front of the displacement plate.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, including a box forming and positioning assembly adjacent the conveyor means and upstream of the box filling assembly to form blanks into boxes and place same and position same on the conveyor means.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer means, the support plate, the displacement plate are moved by pneumatic or hydraulic piston and cylinder devices.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a separator plate positioned adjacent one side of the open lower end of the supply hopper, the separator plate extending a short distance across the said open lower end providing a separator edge to separate adjacent tubes during horizontal movement of the transfer member and retention surface across and beneath the supply hopper.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 3, including a box closing and sealing assembly positioned adjacent the conveyor means downstream of the box filling assembly.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 further including a box transfer assembly adjacent the conveyor means downstream of the box filling assembly for removing filled, closed and sealed boxes from the conveyor means.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 1, the supply hopper having flat front and rear surfaces and downwardly converging side surfaces, and including means to impArt vibratory movement to the said side surfaces.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 1, further including magazine conveying means above the supply hopper to convey magazines full of tubes sequentially above the hopper to maintain a supply of tubes within the hopper. 